


Cruel Reminders

by LucindaAM



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Amnesia, F/M, Fluff, Just Fluuuuuuuufff, Light Swearing, Mostly Fluff, No Smut, no real plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:41:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22857934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucindaAM/pseuds/LucindaAM
Summary: A mission gone horribly wrong leads to what could be permanent changes in the lives of Bucky Barnes and his one true love.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 58





	1. Disaster

“Stay with me, doll.” He pleaded, watching your eyes flicker shut again. Come on, baby, open those pretty eyes of yours.” 

Your head lolled to the side. His super-human hearing, trained as it was on the beating of your heart listened frantically to each slowing beat. 

“You’re losing her!” He screamed at the doctors. 

One of the medics gave Steve a pointed look. “Buck . . .” Steve started, reaching for his friend. 

Bucky shook him off. “She’s dying!” 

Steve moved in front of the Winter Solider and put a firm hand on his chest, pushing him away from the team of medics surrounding you. “I know, Buck. They’re doing what they can. You’ve got to move though.” 

Bucky refused to tear his gaze away from you. “I can’t . . .” 

“Buck.” Steve said firmly, waiting for his oldest friend to look up at him. “You’re just in the way here. Let them do their jobs.” 

Bucky took one last look at you, pale as the grave, before looking back at Steve. “I can’t lose her.” He whispered. 

Steve nodded his head, consolingly. “You won’t Buck. You won’t. But you’ve got to let the medics do their thing.” 

Bucky nodded slowly and let your hand slip from his fingers. “I can’t lose her.” He repeated as he backed away slowly. The second he was out the way, the medics began shouting orders and chaos engulfed you, hiding you entirely from his sight. 

Steve patted Bucky’s back and whispered consoling words to him as he led Bucky to the other end of the quinjet, but Bucky couldn’t hear any of it. His mind was too focused on woman lying all too still at the end of the plane, her life utterly in the hands of fate. If only he’d been faster . . . if only he hadn’t let you come on the mission . . . if only . . . 

Bucky stared down at his shaking, blood covered hands, lost in his memories as the quinjet flew you both home.


	2. Lost

A steady beeping sound woke me up. Ugh. Where was I? Why was it so dark? I blinked my eyes open and immediately closed them against the blinding white light. I let out a low hiss. I tried to move my hand up to cover my eyes, but it stubbornly refused to move. I turned my head to the side and slowly opened my eyes. For a few seconds, the room was a blurry fuzz. I blinked a couple more times and it slowly came into focus. 

It took a minute for my brain to catch up to my eyes. I was in a hospital. That was weird. Why was I in a hospital? I tried to think back, but nothing came to mind. I searched back further, now that I was thinking about it . . . I didn’t . . . there wasn’t . . . who was I? How’d I get here? What was happening?! 

The monitor next to my bed began beeping frantically. I desperately tried to get my limbs to move, to do something! I thought I felt my fingers twitch when the door burst open and a hulking figure raced into the room. 

“Doll!” He cried, racing towards me. I cowered back into my bed as much as I was able to. He seemed to notice, because he froze on a dime, his dark eyes taking me in. A confused look appeared on his face. “Y/N?” He asked quietly as another man appeared in the doorway and slowly moved towards me. 

My voice was raspy and I nearly jumped at the sound of it as I responded; “Who the hell is Y/N?” 

The man paled. “No . . .” He whispered, horrified. 

The other man came up to me, hands raised. “Your name is Y/N.” He clarified. “I’m Dr. Bruce Banner.” He glanced at the other man standing pale and frozen in the middle of the room. He turned back to me. “Do you remember what happened?” 

The monitor beside me was still beeping frantically but it seemed to jump into overdrive as I pondered his question. “No.” I gasped out. “I’m sorry . . . I don’t . . . I don’t remember anything.” 

The frozen man seemed to pale even further. Dr. Banner looked at him again with concern on his face . . . “Bucky . . .” He started, but the man shook his head violently, spun on his heel and stormed out of the room. 

“I’m sorry.” I whispered. I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, but I had a feeling it was my fault. 

Dr. Banner turned back to me. There was a kind smile on his face but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Hey now, it’s not your fault. And don’t worry about not remembering anything. We will figure it out, okay? I’ll help you. I promise.” 

He reached out and took one of my hands in his. I was grateful to notice that it wasn’t as heavy as it had been a moment ago. I weakly squeezed his hand back. 

“Now, let’s see what we’ve got, okay?” Dr. Banner said. 

Bucky threw another punch into the punching bag, practically splitting the seams with the force of his blow. Steve watched from the sidelines. “Remind me never to get on your bad side!” He called jokingly. Bucky didn’t respond, just threw a kick at the bag, straining the seams even further. Steve’s eyebrows drew together. Something was bothering Bucky . . . he knew it. But Y/N was going to be fine. Banner said they were just waiting for her to wake up. 

“Bucky?” He asked, stepping closer to his friend. Bucky still didn’t respond, his movements just becoming more forceful, more violent. 

“Buck?” Steve tried again. 

Suddenly, Bucky let out a feral roar and landed a blow that sent the punching bag flying across the training room, crashing partway through the opposite wall. Bucky stared at the hole in the wall breathing heavily. Steve froze where he was, waiting to see if he was dealing with his grieving friend or the Winter Soldier. 

“She woke up.” Bucky finally said, a few minutes later. His breathing had evened out, but his hands were still clenching and unclenching at his sides. 

“I don’t understand.” Steve said, taking in Bucky’s aggressive stance. 

Bucky let the tension bleed out of his shoulders and he turned to face his best friend. “She doesn’t remember me.” He admitted, unshed tears gleaming in his eyes. “She doesn’t . . .” His voice broke. “. . . She doesn’t remember who she is.” 

“Oh Buck . . .” Steve breathed out. His eyes closed and he hung his head, finally understanding the rage in his friend. Steve reached out and slapped a hand on Bucky’s back. He opened his mouth to say something else but closed it again quickly. What could he say? Y/N wasn’t okay. Not really. And this was not a time for empty promises. 

“She was the one who kept me grounded.” Bucky’s watery voice sounded broken and lost. Steve wrapped him in a manly hug. “How is she going to help me remember who I am if she doesn’t even remember who she is?” 

Steve shook his head and pulled back, looking his friend in the eyes. “I don’t know, Buck.” He said. He clapped his hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “First things first, though. Let’s see if Banner hasn’t already whipped up a cure.”


	3. Life Continues

“. . . Retrograde Amnesia.” Banner was saying. “She’s fine, physically. Those quick healing genes that all you inhumans seem to have these days have fixed her up, good as new. But her mind . . . that’s a little more complicated.” 

“There’s nothing you can do?” Steve asked. 

Bucky’s hands clenched at his side. 

Banner spared Bucky a glance before he answered Steve. “If you’re looking for a magic wand for me to wave and fix it all, I don’t have one of those.” He glanced back through the window that overlooked the sleeping patient. “In this case, only time will tell.” 

“With all your fancy newfangled technology . . . there’s really nothing you can do?” Bucky demanded bitterly. 

Banner shook his head. “We know a lot more about the human body than scientists did when you’re from. But the human mind . . . it’s still leaps and bounds beyond anything we can completely understand. The memories are there. They’ve just been . . . locked away, in a sense. There’s always the possibility that she’ll find them again and who knows what could trigger it. Being put in familiar places or situations can help. But don’t press her to remember; let it happen when it happens. Putting too much stress on her to remember might cause the memories to get locked further away.” 

“But there’s a chance that she WILL remember?” Steve asked. 

Banner nodded slowly. “Look, I don’t want to give you any false hope. Yeah there’s a chance she might remember, but there’s a slightly bigger chance that she never will.” He glanced in Bucky’s direction. “It might not be a bad thing if she doesn’t.” 

Bucky shot him a menacing look. Banner held up his hands in surrender. “I’m just saying! Our relationships with her will need to be recreated, but . . . listen . . . she doesn’t remember her time with HYDRA. Those memories are gone too. You can’t tell me you haven’t wished that you could forget those ones yourself Barnes.” 

Bucky didn’t say anything. Bruce sighed and glanced at you again. “She’s fine, physically.” He reiterated. “She’s free to go whenever she wants to . . .” 

“But . . . ?” Steve prompted. 

Banner rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s fragile right now. It would be a good idea to show her around familiar places . . . her room, the common areas, maybe Central Park? But don’t lead her. Don’t tell her what you want her to remember. It’s especially important that you don’t make her feel like she’s expected to remember anything. If it comes back at all, it will come back on its own.” 

Bucky glanced through the window and took a deep breath. His entire world lay in that hospital bed and he didn’t have a place there anymore. He didn’t know what was worse, not having a place in your world or not being allowed to carve a new one out in it. 

“At least she can come home now, Buck.” Steve said, placing a comforting hand on his friends shoulder. “Maybe being back in your rooms will help . . .” 

“About that . . .” Bruce started. Both Super Soldiers turned with frustration brimming in their eyes. Bruce winced. “She . . . she doesn’t remember that you two are together Bucky.” Pain, not unlike that of a dull knife being shoved into his chest hit Bucky with full force. “I think it would be best if you stayed with Steve for a little while.” 

“Bruce . . .” Steve had a warning tone of voice, but Bucky interrupted before Steve could finish scolding the doctor. 

“I understand.” He grunted. 

“Buck . . .” Steve started again. Bucky shook his head. 

“How would you feel waking up in an unfamiliar world only to be told you were married and were expected to act like it?” Bucky turned away from you and looked at his friend. “She’s my whole world, punk. If this is what it takes to bring her back to me, then this is what I’m going to do.”


	4. Begin Anew

Bucky took one last look around the apartment. At Banner’s request, he’d gone ahead to clear out anything that might remind you of him. It had eaten at Bucky’s heart to take down the framed pictures of the two of you together. Your first dates, your engagement . . . your wedding. Putting each photo into one of the storage boxes one of Stark’s interns had provided felt like he was ripping his own heart out with his metal hand, but he’d done it. He’d told himself that it was temporary. That you’d remember sooner rather than later and then he could put them all back on the walls. The two of you would laugh as you remembered each moment together and everything would go back to the way it had been. 

It felt like a lie. 

The apartment didn’t feel the same without the memories on the walls. Sure, the other things were still there. The couches were still covered in the pillows and blankets you had snuck in before the two of you started dating. Bucky couldn’t help the small smile that stole over his lips at that memory. You’d taken to him the fastest when he’d first arrived at the tower, still scarred from what HYDRA had done to him. You hadn’t let it faze you. Instead, you’d taken it upon yourself to “home-ify” his apartment. You started coming by almost every day. He hadn’t been willing to speak much, at the time, but you hadn’t seemed to mind. You’d come in, distract him with something, normally a demonstration of some new gadget he hadn’t been introduced to yet, and then you’d leave something in the apartment. A pillow. A blanket. A random knick-knack. He hadn’t even realized you’d been doing it. You’d kept expecting a reaction out of him, but he’d never thought of the rooms as “his”. Merely as a place to sleep and shower. It hadn’t taken you long to realize that he didn’t know what was happening. So, you’d made it into a game to see how much you could get away with before the “super soldier” with “superior senses” realized what was happening. 

Bucky’s eyes strayed to the last knick-knack you’d left. A graceful ballerina figurine stood in a place of honor on the mantel. One of the woman’s arms was raised above her head while the other reached out as though stretching for something. That same arm had been oh-so-carefully painted a dark metallic silver and a small red star was drawn on its shoulder. Bucky let out gruff snort as he recalled finding the figurine in his rooms for the first time. 

“I’m just saying, Barnes! You, me, Steve if he wants to come, laser tag. It’s like target practice but with lasers. You’ll love it.” You said, following Bucky through the hallways towards his room. 

In front of you, Bucky’s lips twitched. “No, doll.” 

“Oh come on!” You whined. “We do movie night every night! Let’s do something different!” 

Bucky stepped into his room, leaving the door open, knowing that you’d follow. He stopped abruptly as a startling flash of pink caught his eye. You ran into his back. Quick as a whip, Bucky’s hand shot out, a finger pointing accusingly at the figurine on the mantel. 

“What the hell is that?” He asked quietly. 

You fought to keep a straight face but didn’t say anything. It felt like a rhetorical question. 

Bucky stepped away from you and approached the porcelain ballerina slowly as though gauging it for threats. You slowly raised a hand to cover your lips fighting to keep the laugh inside and having long lost the fight to keep a smile off your face. 

“It looks like a ballerina.” You managed to sound only slightly strangled. 

Bucky ignored you as he slowly reached out a hand and picked the figurine up in his metal arm. He raised it closely to his face as he took in every, tiny, detail. 

You blinked furiously, trying to keep the tears at bay. 

Very slowly, Bucky turned to face you, his hand still wrapped around the figurine. His face was a blank mask as he took in your rather compromising situation. 

“You know, Barnes . . . I’ve never given it much thought before, but you and Steve . . . I mean . . . WOW. Never seen anyone more graceful. Maybe they should be calling it the Ballerina serum instead.” 

Bucky stared at you hard for a long moment before he very slowly reached behind him, and without looking, set the figurine back on the mantel before taking a threatening step towards you. 

You let out an undignified squeal and raced to put the couch between the two of you. He kept marching towards you, countering your every move. You darted around the room, trying to keep various objects between the two of you. You let out a carefree laugh as you narrowly dodged his grasping hands and spun across the room again. A brief smile twitched his lips and you pointed at him and jumped into a victory pose. “Ah-ha!” You yelled, smiling brightly. “You loved it! Admit it!” 

You were distracted just long enough that Bucky was able to lunge for you, tackling you to the ground. He managed to twist you at just the last second, so he caught your weight as you hit the floor. Both of you were laughing now. 

You pushed yourself up on your hands and suddenly found yourself looking very closely into his eyes. His smile faded slowly and a tension that had been a long time coming, began to envelope you. 

He reached up his metal hand and brushed your hair behind your ears. “Not so graceful now, eh doll?” He whispered. 

You let out a breath. “I wouldn’t say that, Barnes.” You whispered. “I’ve got you right where I want you, and you’re handling the defeat gracefully enough.” 

Bucky’s lips curled into a sexy smirk. “You’ve got me there, doll.” 

You couldn’t tell who moved first, in the end it didn’t matter. Your lips touched his and you were lost in him. His hands reached up and pulled you down until you were firmly settled across the length of him. Your hands reached up and threaded themselves through his hair, pulling him closer to you. You’d been dancing to and around this for months. You loved him. 

You pulled away, gasping for air. You couldn’t help but smirk at Bucky’s dazed expression below you. “Didn’t know you had it in you, grandpa.” You said breathlessly. It was Bucky’s turn to smirk then. He leaned up and pecked your lips once, twice, three times more before he pulled you back down to him, cradling your head against his chest. 

“Move in with me.” He said suddenly. Bucky nearly jolted with the shock of the words. He hadn’t meant to say it . . . not so soon . . . 

You merely laughed. “I thought you were supposed to be a master of your surroundings, Sarge.” You raised your head up and looked him in the eye. “I’ve been moving myself in for months now. Or haven’t you noticed?” You hooked a thumb at the ballerina on the mantel and smirked at him again. 

Bucky pushed himself up and looked around his apartment with new eyes, taking in the homey touches that most certainly hadn’t come from him before his eyes met yours again. A sly smile twitched his lips. 

“So, I’ve got the grace, you’ve got the skills. What a pair we make.” 

“No, no, no. You’ve got the grace. I’ve got it ALL, Barnes. And don’t you forget it.” 

The smile faded from Bucky’s face as he slowly picked up the figurine. He had kept his promise. HE hadn’t forgotten it . . . 

Bucky closed his eyes and cradled the figurine in his hands. It had been their defining moment. The instant that he’d realized that he’d fallen head over heels with you. A part of him wanted to leave it here, hoping you’d see it. The painted metal arm on the figurine would be a sure tie to him. Surely it would help you remember . . . but no. Now wasn’t the time. 

“Bucky?” Steve asked from the doorway. “You get everything?” 

Bucky cleared his throat and blinked the non-existent tears from his eyes. “Yeah, punk. That’s the last of it.” He gestured towards the last box sitting in the entryway. Steve nodded and bent to pick it up. 

“You sure about this, Buck?” Steve asked for the hundreth time. 

Bucky quickly slipped the figurine into his coat pocket, not willing to share that particular object with Steve just yet. “Yeah. She . . . I know what it is to be lost, Steve. More than anyone else here. She needs to be eased back into it.” 

“Okay. Banner called. They’re on their way up. Maybe we should let him . . .” 

“Yeah. Let’s go.” 

Steve nodded and led the way out of the room. Bucky took one last look around the apartment that had been his home for the past few years. It still felt homey; the landscapes were still hanging, the knick-knacks still there, the colors still the same. Still home, just like you were still you. But at the same time . . . it just wasn’t. Not without the memories. 

Bucky reached a hand into the coat of his pocket and cradled the figurine gently as he followed Steve out of the room. A new resolve welled up within him. Steve had been right. You’d helped him when he’d been lost. It was his turn to help you. You were his world whether you remembered or not. He wasn’t going to abandon you now. New resolve welled up within him. He wasn’t giving up on you without a fight. Graceful or not. 

“Here we are.” Banner said, opening the door. I followed him into the room. I ignored Banner as he watched me take in my surroundings. I wasn’t an idiot. He was looking for signs of recognition. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping that something would spark something. Anything. 

My eyes took in the colors and the decorations. There was something there. It felt like something was on the tip of my tongue . . . but I couldn’t quite grasp it . . . 

“I think I’ll leave you to get settled for a minute.” Banner said quietly. I nodded absently as I moved through the sitting area. It was so damn familiar and yet so damn strange . . . 

“If you need anything, just call for FRIDAY. I’ll be in the lab . . .” The rest of Banners words dissolved into nothingness as I approached the mantel at the far end of the room. 

Not a speck of dust could be seen. Nothing looked like it had been disturbed. There was no discoloration saying that something had once been there but had been recently moved . . . and yet. 

“Something’s missing.” I breathed, eyebrows furrowing. I reached out a single finger and tapped a spot on the mantel. “Something should be here.” 

Banner’s words cut off and he came up beside me. He had an air of nonchalance about him, but there was a light in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. 

“Do you know what’s missing?” He asked quietly. 

I opened my mouth to say something. The sensation of something being ALMOST remembered was getting frustrating. I gaped like a fish for a few minutes, willing my mind to make sense of my puzzle, desperate for something . . . anything. 

Banner put a gentle hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay . . . you don’t have to . . .” 

“Doll.” I choked out. My eyes flew open. A gruff voice filled my head, saying the simple word with a tone of such love and tenderness that it brought tears to my eyes. I tapped the spot on the mantel again and turned to Banner. “It . . . it was a doll.”


	5. Cruel Reminders

Banner had left quickly after that. He’d said that Tony had been calling him . . . but that hadn’t sounded right. I'd said something significant. I just wasn’t sure what. 

I sighed and tried to move past it. I wandered through the rooms, taking everything in. Nothing else sparked just an intense reaction from me . . . but the feeling that something was missing never quite went away. In fact . . . it felt like there were a lot of things missing. 

It took an embarrassingly long time to figure out why. The apartment seemed lived in. True. There were colors and decorations. Everything that a home was SUPPOSED to have. But it was what was missing that was more telling. There were no pictures. Not of my family . . . not that I even really knew if I had one or not. Not of the Avengers. I didn’t remember any of them, but they had all come to visit at some point or another while I'd been trapped in the hospital wing and each of them treated me like family even if their eyes looked like they were mourning me. So, why weren’t there pictures of them? 

Or me? 

Or anyone? 

Normal people who weren’t missing themselves had pictures of people up didn’t they? 

These rooms . . . they seemed more like glorified hotel rooms than anything else. 

I sighed and plopped onto the couch and stared at the mantel. Why couldn’t I just remember?! 

“FRIDAY?” I called out, hesitantly. 

“Yes Ma’am?” The speakers called out. 

I jolted. “Ma’am?” I asked. “How old do you think I am?” I joked. 

“It’s only appropriate given your circumstances.” 

“Circum . . . because I can’t remember anything?” 

“Because you’re married.” 

“What?!” I jumped to my feet and felt the blood drain from my face. I was married?! No one had thought to tell me that? I was MARRIED??? 

“Y/N . . . your heart rate has increased and your other vital signs indicate you are in distress. Shall I call for assistance?” 

“You . . . I . . . MARRIED?!” 

I paced a small pattern into the carpet, clenching and unclenching my hands together. When were they going to tell me? Why hadn’t they? What was . . . 

I had a sudden realization and my hands shot out so I could examine them closely. No ring . . . there was no ring . . . what did that mean??? 

My breathing was coming in short gasps and black spots appeared in the edges of my vision but I couldn’t stop spiraling. I couldn’t breathe . . . I couldn’t think . . . what was happening?! 

“Y/N!” A voice called out somewhere far away. I heard it call my name again before large hands wrapped around my arms. A face appeared in my line of sight and I breathed out a name with no idea how I knew it . . . 

“Bucky . . .” 

“Doll, hey. You’ve gotta breathe. Come on, doll. Breathe with me. Like this. In and out. That’s right. Keep breathing. You’re going to be okay.” 

Bucky eased me down until I was sitting on the couch he gently pushed my head in between my knees and took one of my hands and placed it on his chest. 

“Keep breathing. Just like that, sweetheart. You’re doing so well. You’re okay.” 

I focused on his voice and slowly, I came back to myself. 

“That’s it, doll.” Bucky whispered, rubbing my back soothingly. “You okay? What happened?” 

I stayed in my awkward position for a minute, trying to pull my scrambled thoughts together. Bucky . . . assuming that was his real name . . . didn’t seem to be in any rush. He just kept rubbing circles on my back as I put the pieces back together. 

“I’m sorry.” I whispered, slowly sitting up, and pulling my hand away from his chest. He seemed reluctant to let it go, but eventually it found its way to my lap and I started picking at my jeans, unable to look him in the eye. 

“Hey, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for. I know how scary this can be.” 

I met his eyes then. “You’ve been through this.” It wasn’t a question. 

He shot me a sad smile. “Yeah . . . doll . . . I have. It gets better though.” 

“Even if you never remember?” 

He winced. “Some things are better left forgotten.” He whispered, looking away from me. 

Instinctively, I reached out a hand and grasped one of his in mine. He seemed surprised by the contact. I was too. 

We sat there for a moment in awkward silence, before he spoke again. “You want to talk about it?” 

I closed my eyes and squeezed his hand, once again on instinct. “I . . .” I trailed off. 

He squeezed my hand back. “It’s okay. Take your time.” 

I stared at the mantel again, fixated on THE spot. He seemed to follow my gaze before locking his eyes back on me, an unreadable expression brewing in his eyes. 

“FRIDAY says I’m married.” I finally whispered. He went completely still. It didn’t even look like he was breathing. I slowly pulled my hand from his grasp. I pulled my legs up on the couch and wrapped my arms around them. I laid my check on the tops of my knees, gaze still locked on the mantel. “You’re him . . . aren’t you?” 

He still didn’t move. I continued on in the same detached sort of voice. “It makes sense. You were the first one there when I . . . woke up. And FRIDAY said she was going to call someone. She could have called Dr. Banner . . . but here you are.” 

A choked sound emanated from him. I turned my head to look into his eyes. The depth of pain and loss that I saw there made my heart ache for him but still he didn’t say anything. I turned my head away and focused on the mantel again. 

“I don’t remember you.” I whispered. “I’m sorry for that. Something tells me that you loved her . . . me . . . very much.” I trail off awkwardly. Finally, “Why didn’t anyone say anything?” 

Bucky sucked in a sharp breath. “Banner said it might . . . overwhelm you.” He whispered. 

I nodded slowly. He hadn’t been wrong. 

“I want you to know there’s no expectations or anything . . . I’m . . . I can just . . .” 

I didn’t know what I wanted. But I knew I didn’t want to go down that particular rabbit hole. So, I interrupted. 

“Where’s the doll?” I asked suddenly. 

Bucky froze again. 

“The d . . . doll?” He stammered. 

I pointed right at the mantel. “It’s missing. I don’t know . . . I don’t remember . . . something’s missing.” 

Bucky let out another choked sound. I could almost hear the tears in his voice as he nodded to himself. “Yeah. Yeah. It’s missing.” 

He reached a hand into his pocket and pulled a figurine out of his coat pocket. My breath caught. I reached out a hesitant finger and stroked the figurines painted limb. “You know, Barnes . . . I’ve never given it much thought before. . . but maybe they should be calling it the Ballerina serum instead.” I whispered. And just like that, everything came rushing back to me. 

Our first kiss. Our first dance. Our first . . . everything. 

Tears filled my eyes as I stared up at the love of my life. “Bucky.” I breathed. He let out a sob and reached out to put the figurine on the coffee table before he reached out and swept me into his arms. I felt his lips press down on my hair as he breathed my name over and over again. “You’re back. You’re back.” He chanted the mantra over and over as though he didn’t quite believe it. I clung even harder to him in response. 

It was overwhelming just how much I’d lost. I’d nearly lost him. 

“So, I’ve got the grace, you’ve got the skills. What a pair we make.” Bucky said as he pulled away and leaned his forehead against mine. 

“No, no, no. You’ve got the grace. I’ve got it ALL, Barnes. And don’t you forget it.” I smiled up at him, tears streaming down my face. 

Bucky shook his head. “Wrong, doll. You’re my everything. And now I’ve got you back. Don’t you dare ever forget it again.” 

I closed my eyes and leaned into his embrace. “Not on your life, Barnes. I love you.” 

Bucky let out a sigh and pulled me in for a lingering kiss. “Not as much as I love you, doll.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been one I've been working on for awhile now. Most of my stories tend to be on the lengthy side and I wanted to see if I couldn't write something short and fluffy for once. I have to say, I'm in love with this story. I view it as a mark of success if I am proud enough of something that I go back and reread it myself.
> 
> Hope this added a little fluff to your day. Now would someone please for the love of all that is holy, find me a ballerina figurine? 'Cuz apparently that's all you need to find true love these days.


End file.
